8 Month Update: Everyone Else

Jack

You are such a talkative child! You are a parrot if I ever met one.  If I want to know what expressions I use, I just need to listen to you.  Common Jack-speak these days:

• "Actually... (and then you insert what you think is a better idea)"
• "Suddenly..." (you have a flare for the dramatic)
• "First of all..."
• "Momma, can you please be quiet, I'm trying to think..." (Thankfully, only said one time)
• "Will that be a good plan?"
• "Let's play the biggest hide and seek in the world!!!"
• "Gracious!"  (which neither of us says!) and "Thank goodness!"
• He continues to be generous to us with his "thank yous" though we usually have to prompt him toward others

You started swimming lessons and love them.  You started Kindermusik classes and love those too.  You still read and read and read.  You continue to be very into fire books but also like Berenstain Bears a lot now too.  We let you bring books to our bed this month (trying to promote the idea that we each read our OWN book) and you think that is just too cool.  You insist on bringing at least 15 with you. 

Mardi Gras has been so much fun this year.  You can't beat living a block from the parade route and you've gotten to experience parades on foot, parades in the ladder box, and parades sitting in your wagon.  You're still young enough that we've given away everything we've caught.  Except your fire truck beads - those are special!

Me
I gave my notice at work a few weeks back that I won't be coming back next school year.  After countless hours thinking this decision to death, I came to what feels like a very "right" decision for me.  I no longer feel that my role is a good fit for a part time position.  I've been searching for project based work for next year which I feel is a better match for me right now.  I like to do good work and feel like concrete projects that I can choose to take on, do well, and complete and be done with is a better fit for the balance I'd like to strike between working and having more time for Jack and Cora.  I feel very at peace with my decision and patient with the process of finding new work.

Jacob

Athens it is!  Jacob, Cora, and I will be going to Greece and Turkey for 11 days this summer; first for Jacob's final MBA class and then for travel time!  (Jack will be going to Grammy Camp which is equally exciting for him.)  In other news, I'm really proud of the massive amount of work Jacob has done taking our disaster of a backyard and turning it into a chicken farm, garden, and play area.  He has gone through a dilapidated garage full of junk slowly making sure to recycle, sell, or donate everything that wasn't true trash.  It took a full year of effort, but for our second annual Mardi Gras party last Friday, we were able to pull our cars all the way up our clean driveway for the first time.